Game apparatus



Feb. 17, 1942. H A, F|5HER 2,273,009

GAME APPARATUS Filed April l, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb.- 17, w42. Y H. A. FISHER 2,273,009

GAME APPARATUS Filed April 1, 1940 2 sheets-sheet y2 wf @wg/m Patented Feb. 17, 1942 l Claim.

The present invention relates to game apparatus designed to develop and test the competitive skill of two or more players. The game is played on a game board with playing counters, each contestant being supplied with a plurality of said counters at the start of the game. The principal objective of each contestant is to move his playing counters into a combat zone, meanwhile arranging them as strategically as possible, in the attempt to capture all of the counters of one or more opponents.

The game is to a large extent controlled by the skill of the contestants; however, the apparatus and method of play introduces elements of chance as the game progresses, so that relatively unskilled players may in many instances prevail over those more adept.

As the theme of the game is concerned with a contest between opposing forces, it Will be seen that a particular design of the game, when produced in commerce, may be attractively arranged to suggest well known historical, literary, or legendary events. For example, a particular design of the game may suggest a well known battle of history. The game of the present invention departs materially from prior art games, particularly in the employment of what is termed a neutral counter, a playing piece which may be used at different times by either or all opposing players, the use of this neutral counter being governed by some form of chance controlled device. This so-called neutral counter may, of course, be formed to represent an individual or object recognized as prominent in the historical,

literary, or legendary event suggested by the game.

The game board of the invention comprises a playing eld having a relatively large central combat zone surrounded by starting zones for the counters of the respective contestants. The contestants play or move their counters alternately and in turn, by a simple advance from one station to an adjacent one on the playing iicld, or by jumping in the well known way, until the opposing counters are deployed in proximity to one another in the combat zone. The final determining action takes place in the combat zone, and a contestants principal objective is to Aidly circulate from one to another of the players,

capture and eliminate his opponents counters by rules of the game are such that said tokens rapso that a contestant more or less successful may find the game not only enjoyable, but profitable, as measured by his accumulation of the tokens.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan View of the game board;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partial Vertical sectional View through the game board of Figure 1, showing one way in which the playing counters may be positioned in their stations throughout the playing eld of the board;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of two playing counters of contrasting appearance;

Figure 4 is a view of what is termed `a neutral counter, which is at certain times under control of each of the contestants, which neutral counter may be of design to suggest a character prominent in the historical, literary, or legendary event suggested by the theme of the game;

Figure 5 is a view of one form of chance controlled means which may be used in association with the game;

Figure 6 is a view of one of the tokens used as the medium of exchange, which token may bear representation of a character also identied with the events suggested by the game;

Figure '7 is an enlarged isometric View of a portion of the game board, showing a possible situation which may .arise in play while Figure la shows the chance controlled means used in the possible situation of Figure 7;

Figure 8 is a view of another form of the medium of exchange, this being a paper token also bearing representations suggesting the theme of the game.

It will be understood that the arrangement of the game board may to some extent be modified, and the various game pieces and accessory apparatus may be of various designs suggestive of any popular event or situation, without departing from the invention.

Referring to Figure l, the game board l0 is a flat surface of wood, compressed paper, or the like, which may be circular in outline and protected by a circular channeled, border strip l2 of rubber or the like which is secured to the perimeterof the board as shown in Figure 2.

Disposed centrally of the board is a playing neld I4 of regular geometrical shape, in the particular instance shown, of hexagonal form to accommodate a maximum of six players. 'Ihe playing field includes the area within the hexagon, as Well as starting areas or Zones I6 disposed around the hexagonal area, said triangular areas being positioned centrally of the length o f each side of the hexagon with a base of the triangle parallel with its respective side of the hexagon. The inner area I8 of the hexagon, also hexagonal in shape, is termed the combat or battle zone, and it may be of color or appearance contrasting with the remaining areas of the playing field, or in any way defined to make it distinct from the remaining areas of the playing eld. In the drawings, I have shown the combat zone I8 hatched indicating red.

Between the starting Zones I6 and the combat Zone are one or more safety zones 2i! and 22. These safety zones may be in any appropriate way colored or marked to contrast with the starting and combat zones, and to contrast with one another if more than one safety zone encircling the combat zone is used. In the drawings, I have shown the outer safety zone 20 as hatched to indicate yellow. The inner safety zone 22 may be white, green, or any other suitable color distinguishing from the other zones and preferably harmionizing therewith in appearance. It will be noted in the arrangement described above that there are one or more safety zones associated with each starting zone, and lying between the particular starting Zone and the combat Zone, the latter being the field whereon the outcome of the contest is ultimately decided.

systematically arranged throughout the iield of play are a plurality of counter stations 24. These counter stations substantially cover the entire area of the playing field, and are connected by parallel and diagonal lines forming a network governing the permissible direction of play or movement of the playing counters between stations. In the particular apparatus shown, the counter stations comprise'apertures 25 which extend through the board IIJ, which apertures receive plug members 28 carried on the bottom of the playing counters. However, it will be understood that the counter stations may be defined in any other suitable way on the board, depending on the particular design of playing counters employed.

Disposed around the outside of the playing field, and beyond the safety Zones I6, are a plurality of areas 30 defining prison camps. These areas may be colored or distinguished in any suitable and attractive manner. If the playing counters are to be plugged into apertures in the field `of play, the areas or Zones S may also be provided with apertures to receive the plugs on the playing counters. The areas 3) serve as prison camps in which a contestant places counters captured from his opponents during the course of the game. There is a prison camp for each contestant adjacent his starting zone.

As each contestant views the game board of Figure 1 from a point outside of his starting zone, the adjacent counter stations throughout the playing eld appear arranged in parallel lines extending laterally across the bi'oard, and in parallel substantially diagonal lines. Each counter station within the playing eld is connected with each adjacent counter station by a line, so that a particular counter station is surrounded by a small hexagon formed by lines extending between the immediately adjacent counter stations. There are also lines drawn between a particular counter station and those surrounding it which divide each small hexe-gon into six equilateral triangles.

The lines referred to above determine the permissible direction of play, either by a simple advance of a counter, or a jumping, as hereinafter described.

The starting zones I6 are in the form of equilateral triangles, having six counter stations evenly arranged throughout the triangles, and certain of the lines between the counter stations in the combat and safety zones enter and form the side edges of the triangular starting zones. There is a counter station Where each starting zone touches its respective side of the hexagon surrounding the combat and safety zones.

The present game is designed to use six playing counters for each contestant, and these counters are initially arranged on the six counter stations of each contestants triangular starting zone. The starting zones may be suitably colored to distinguish from the other zones. In the present instance, I have shown them hatched with yellow centers and having red borders. The counters of each contestant contrast in appearance or color with those of his opponents.

Before play is commenced, an agreed number of tokens of exchange are distributed to each player, Any convenient receptacle may be used as a bank and it is customary for each contestant to deposit one or more tokens in the bank lbefore the game is started. The tokens may represent a character or object suggestive of the theme of the game. Figure 6 shows a metal token, and Figure 8 a paper token which may be worth iive of the metal tokens.

The design of the game board and playing eld might be altered from that shown. For instance, it might be altered to accommodate a greater or lesser total number of players, by making the central part of the playing eld a geometric iigure having more or less than six sides. Other minor changes in the design may, of course, be made as desired.

Play is initiated in the usual Way, each contestant being permitted to move alternately in order around the board. A contestant may move one of his playing counters from one station to an adjacent unoccupied station along the lines appearance on the board, or he may jump one of his playing counters over a counter in an adjacent station to an unoccupied station in a direction of movement deiined by the lines appearing on the board. If playing counters are disposed alternately in the lines of play, a contestant may advance a counter by successive jumps in a single move At the beginning of the game, the contestants alternately advance and deploy their counters in turn toward the central combat zone I 8 as rapidly and strategically as possible. The safety Zone 22 may, -by rules of the game, be designated as a penalty zone, and the last player to advance all of his counters into o-r beyond this Zone toward the combat Zone, may be penalized. In the present game, such a contestant may be penalized by being required to pay the bank tokens. As long as a particular contestant has not advanced allof his counters into or beyond the penalty zone 22, he must pay the bank a token each time it is his turn to move Having sacrificed a token in penalty, he can then move, and when all of his counters have reached the zone 22, the penalty ceases.

To further stimulate the exchange of tokens, which adds to the interest of the game, and to encourage rapid advance of the counters to the combat zone where the outcome of the contest is ultimately determined, a similar penalty may be inicted against the last contestant to get all of his counters into the combat zone I8.

The principal purpose of the game is to so deploy ones counters with respect to those of the opponents as they enter the combat zone, that single jumps, or successive jumps in a single move may be made over the opponents counters to capture them. When an opponents counter is jumped, it is removed from the board and placed in the captors prison camp 30, and this captured counter is out of play, unless it is later returned to the game as hereinafter described. A contestant may jump his own counter singly or as one of successive jumps, but does not thereby remove it from the playing field. A contestant may jump and capture a counter or counters of an opponent by a single or successive jumps in one move, so long as the nal movement of said contestants counter terminates in the combat zone. That is, opponents counters may be captured if they are located in the combat zone if the termination of the jump brings the captors counter to a nal station located in the combat zone, or an opponents counter may be captured even if located out of the combat zone, so long as the captors jump or series of jumps iinally terminates on a station within the combat zone. The captors jump or series of jumps need not start from within the combat Zone, so long as it ends there.

With the apparatus previously described, the counters may be deployed into the combat Zone, and the most skillful player will iinally eliminate all of the counters of his opponents. As a reward for having thus prevailed, the winner is awarded all of the tokens in the bank, including original and penalty deposits. Once the contestants have advanced their counters into the combat zone, it is inevitable that the game will be ultimately determined by capture of opposing counters, for a contestant having once advanced his counters into the combat zone, cannot move them out of said Zone, although he can in the course of successive jumps in a single move temporarily rest upon a station outside of the combat zone, if the jump carries him back into the combat Zone in the same move Furthermore, when a contestants turn arrives, and an opponents counter rests in a station adjacent to one of the contestants counters, with an empty station immediately beyond the opponents counter in a permissible line of play, the contestant must accept the jump which is thereby presented to him, unless excused therefrom by chance controlled means, as hereinafter described. Therefore, a contestant having the advantage in numbers, can sacrifice a counter in order to quickly terminate the game by in turn capturing remaining counters of his opponent.

The game as described above depends primarily upon the skill of the contestants. The pleasure derived from playing the game is greatly enhanced by the novel use of what I term a neutral counter N, which may for example be of appearance contrasting with that of the playing counters of any of the contestants, as shown in Figure 4. Preferably the design of this counter should suggest a character or object of importance in the events which the theme of the game depicts.

At the start of the game, the contestants counters are arranged in their starting Zones I6, as previously mentioned, and the neutral counter N is located in the exact center of the combat zone. The game is commenced as previously described. However, when usingA the neutral counter, some form of chance controlled device is operated by each contestant as his turn arrives. Conventional dice, as shown in Figure 5, may be used. As each contestants turn arrives, he rolls the dice, and unless he rolls doubles, as shown in Figure 5, he simply makes his move as previously related. However, if the contestant rolls doubles, he is given premium advantage as set forth below. In the first place, each of his opponents may be required to pay him one token. Furthermore, he may, if he desires, place the neutral counter N at any unoccupied station in the combat Zone before making his regular move. It will be understood that a contestant may jump over the neutral counter Njust as he may jump his own or his opponents counter. The neutral counter N is never captured or removed from the playing field. It may be used to accelerate the advance of a contestants counters, or to place one of a contestants counters in position to capture one or more of his opponents counters by successive jumps in the same move When a contestant has thus rolled doubles, and placed the neutral counter in a desired position to facilitate his immediate or subsequent moves, the neutral counter remains there until doubles again are thrown by another player, at which time that fortunate player may place the neutral counter in any station in the combat zone which he may desire. rIlhe throw of the dice is of no signicance unless doubles are rolled.

A contestant may, in one move including a series of jumps, repeatedly use any open station on the board, but he cannot jump over the neutral counter or any one of his own counters twice in the same move. The contestant, of course, cannot jump over one of his opponents counters more than once in the same move, for said opponents counter is -considered removed from play immediately after having been jumped.

When a player throws doubles, he is not re- 'zones respectively, loses the privilege of throwing the dice when his turn arrives, and does not regain this privilege until all of his counters have reached the respective zone in question.

The importance of being able to selectively dispose the neutral counter in a desired position within the combat zone increases as the game At the beginning of the game, this neutral counter can probably only be used to,l

accelerate the advance of the contentants counters, into the combat zone. However, when the opposing counters have reached points in proX- .imity to one another within the combat zone,

.skillful placing of the neutral counter, when permitted, may enable the fortunate contestant to make a sweeping capture of a number of his opponents counters in one move by successive jumps. It will be obvious that the neutral counter, when doubles are thrown, may be used in a defensive way, if desired, to prevent an impending jump of an opponent which would eliminate oneor more of the contestants counters.

If desired, the game may be prolonged, resulting in the increased exchange of tokens,by placing a further premium on the throwing of doubles. As the contestants advance their counters into the combat Zone, it will usually be the case that each contestant will suffer some losses of counters by capture. While a contestant need not have all of his counters in play to ultimately win the game, it will be obvious that his offensive is more flexible and positive if he can keep a greater number of counters in action. Therefore, when doubles are thrown, it is intended that the fortunate contestant shall also be permitted, vafter positioning the neutral counter N and making his move or jump, to bring back into play one of his captured `counters from each of his opponents prison camps, depending on where he finds them. The captured counters thus brought back into action may be positioned at any point in the combat zone which the fortunate contestant desires, to facilitate future moves, but they cannot be so placed until after the fortunate contestant has made his move. That is, a captured counter returned to play cannot be moved or used to assist in a jump until the players turn, following the throwing of doubles, arrives.

It will thus be seen that the employment of the neutral counter, together with governing effect of the chance controlled device used in association therewith, as well as the permissible returning to play of captured counters, makes possible the ultimate winning of the game by a contestant who may have initially suffered severe losses. This ability to ultimately prevail is of great importance in the playing of the game, for by reason of it, a player who has fallen behind does not lose interest, always having the hope of overcoming his opponents by a skillful or brilliant use of the premiums afforded by the chance controlled device and the use of the neutral counter.

During the course of play, and assuming there are more than two contestants, if an unfortunate contestant has all of his counters captured while the game is still in progress between the other opponents, he is required to pay a token to the bank each time his turn arrives. However, when his turn arrives, he is permitted to roll the dice. If he does not roll doubles, he pays his penalty and the player having the next turn takes the dice and moves. If the unfortunate contestant does throw doubles, he is rewarded as discussed below. In the first place, each of the other contestants must pay him a token, the usual incident of throwing doubles. He may place the neutral counter on any station of the combat zone, and then may return to play one of his captured counters from each of his opponents prison camps, placing said counters as desired on empty stations of the combat zone. He is not, however, permitted to move or jump with these counters so returned, until his next turn or move. It will be apparent that this contest- .ant will dispose of the neutral counter and the captured counters returned to play, in strategic positions which he regards as most advantageous to his subsequent moves. The neutral counter, of course, remains in the position placed until another contestant throws doubles, as usual.

From the above, it will be apparent that the spirit of each contestant is that hope is never lost, and even if a player has all of his counters captured, he still may, bychance, have opportunity to return to play within the combat zone, and by brilliant or fortunate disposition of his counters may even ultimately prevail over his opponents.

Referring to Figure 7, one of innumerable situations which may arise in play, is depicted. Counters of three opposing contestants are represented on the playing field, the contestants having started respectively from starting zones X, Y and Z. At the stage of play illustrated, the -contest has become critical, most of the counters of the contestants having reached the combat zone. Furthermore, each of the contestants has lost two counters by capture. Assuming it is Xs move, and he throws doubles, as indicated in Fig. 7a; if he moves the neutral counter N from its full line position to its dotted line position N', he can jump his counter 40X over the counter N, and thence continue the jump over Ys counter 42Y, going out of the combat zone into the safety zone 22. He can continue his jump in the same move back into the com-bat zone, jumping and capturing Ys counter MY, completing his move with his counter 40X located as shown in the dotted line position in the combat zone.

It would not be permissible for Xs counter 40X to take Ys counter 42Y if the counter 40X had to remain in the safety zone 22. However, since he can, in the same move or jump, return counter 40X to the combat zone, he is permitted to capture the coutner Il-ZY, as well as the counter MY as he returns to the combat'zone.

It will be recalled that the throwing of doubles also permits the fortunate contestant, after he has placed the neutral counter N in the desired position, and taken his move or jump, to return one of his counters to play from each of his opponents prison camps. It is assumed that both of Xs counters, previously captured, are located in Zs prison camp. Therefore X can only return one of these counters to play, and as previously stated, he can position it at any empty station in the combat zone. Were it not for this extra premium, X would have placed himself in a serious position by the above described move, wherein he captured two of Ys counters. That is, X having moved his counter 40X from its full line position, Z, having the next move, can capture all of Xs remaining counters except 49X, by jumping his counter 46Z over his counter SZ, thence successively, and in the same move, jumping over Xs counters However, X, having made his jump to capture Ys counters, as previously describedj may checkmate the impending dangerous move of Z,

by placing one of his previously capturedA counters, now returned to play, in the station originally occupied by his counter 48, thus preventing the very destructive move which Z might have made.

The above description of a situation which might arise in play illustrates how the trend of the game may change at any time, and how strategic deployment of a contestants counters may enable him to capture all or most of his opponents counters in one move. At the same time, it illustrates that in selecting an apparently attractive move, a contestant may leave himself open to the capture of all or substantially all of his counters, if he leaves his counters unguarded in a faulty deployment, from the defensive standpoint.

It will be obvious that the game apparatus of,

If desired, contestants in the game of the present invention may play as partners, and it is preferable that the two or three contestants playing as partners should use adjacent starting zones. The game is played in the same manner as previously described, and jumps may be made over a contestants own counters, over those of his partners, and over the neutral counter, the counters of his opponents only being captured when jumped.

Upon rolling doubles, a partner may collect a token from each player, including his partners, if desired, and it is preferable that he should only be permitted to return his own counters to play, rather than those of his partners.

If all of the counters of one partner are captured while his associates counters are still in play, the partner so temporarily eliminated, upon rolling doubles, may collect a token from his partners, as well as from his opponents, and he may, of course, return one of his own counters to play from each prison camp. If he fails to throw doubles, he, of course, must pay the bank a token, as previously described.

When the contestants play as partners, and one contestant fails to advance his counters into the safety or combat zones before the counters of all other players are in said zones, it is preferred that this contestant, as well as his partners, should forfeit the roll of the dice and each should pay the bank one token.

It will be obvious that various minor rules of the game may be altered by agreement between players. For instance, if it is desired to speed up the game, a fortunate contestant rolling doubles, whether playing as a partner or not, may only be permitted to return one counter from any prison camp, rather than one counter from each opponents prison camp.

this invention, and its manner of use, will provide an attractive and enjoyable pastime for the public. The situations which may arise in play are unlimited, and the interest of a habitual player should never lag. While skill is an advantage and may be highly developed, chance may always assist those having less technique, and a player need never dispair of winning, no matter how discouraging his situation, until the nal play of the game.

I claim:

Game apparatus comprising a game board and playing counters for movement on said board, said counters being divided into groups of contrasting appearance for each contestant playing the game, said board having a eld of play comprising starting zones for the counters of each contestant and a combat zone, said eld having a plurality of stations systematically arranged adjacentone another, on which said counters are placed by alternate moves of each contestant, the counters of each contestant being permissibly advanced in successive moves from an occupied to an adjacent empty station, or jumped from an occupied station over a counter of an opponent to an empty station in said combat zone to capture said opponents counter, and a neutral counter of appearance contrasting with those of the contestants which may be selectively placed by a contestant in any empty station of said combat zone, -which neutral counter may be jumped by the contestants counter to place the latter in position to jump the counter of an opponent inthe same move, or to permit the contestants counter to continue a jump to capture a plurality of opponents counters in the same move.

HENRY A. FISHER. 

